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WESTFIELD – Katherine Milligan of the Historical Commission and Mayor Daniel M. Knapik awarded a plaque in commemoration of Ann Lentini, executive director of Domus, Inc. a non-profit affordable housing developer since 1982.
Lentini received the award through her tireless efforts to rehabilitate, restore and preserve historical buildings in the heart of downtown Westfield. The award was achieved by the “Elm Street Project” incorporating three buildings: the Loomis Building circa 1872, the Marcoullier Building circa 1920 and the Rinnova Building circa 1888. The completion of this downtown project brought not only quality affordable one and two bedroom apartments, but space for viable businesses to add to the downtown revitalization project.
Other properties successfully rehabilitated, restored and adaptively reused by Lentini and Domus are: Reed House on Main Street circa 1899, Prospect Hill School circa 1897, Sanford Whip Factory circa 1884 and The Meadows formerly known as the Westfield Hotel. New construction built adjacent to the Reed House is a mirrored Dutch Colonial Revival style completed in 2010. To date, Domus has created 98 affordable quality units saving some of Westfield’s historic properties from past centuries.
Lentini currently has two projects underway, the revitalization and reuse of the former Red Cross Building on Broad Street for permanent housing for unaccompanied youth and a home on State Street for a family of three handicapped individuals.
